A Gurnee middle school was placed on a soft lockdown Friday as police recovered a loaded handgun in a student’s locker, police said.
Gurnee police said that there was no credible threat to other students or teachers, and that a 13-year-old student was taken into custody and questioned by police. He was charged with unlawful possession of a weapon in school, police said, and released to his parents.
Police responded to Viking Middle School at around 9:30 a.m. Friday after receiving reports of the weapon. A student heard another student discussing having the gun, police said.
Police, assisted by a Lake County sheriff’s deputy and K9, searched the school and located the gun in the student’s locker.
“We commend the swift action of school officials, the collaboration of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, and the professionalism of all responding officers,” Gurnee Police Chief Brian Smith said. “The safety and well-being of our community remain our top priority, and we continue to work diligently to ensure a safe learning environment for all students.”